Lisbon City Council approved paying for a 2023 Ford F350 for the Lisbon Fire Department in a 3-1 vote, with council member Rick Scott dissenting. Council member Nathan Smith was not in attendance.
Scott dissented because he felt the money would be better used purchasing a new pump truck for the fire department.
Fire chief Brandon Siggins said the department had been exploring the purchase of a new truck, thanks to a sizable memorial donation.
The department was looking to move the 2003 Ford F350 out of their fleet and donate it to the Lisbon public works crew, as the vehicle has very low miles and could be used for a number of public works positions.
The new truck that Lisbon would be purchasing would be a 2024 Ford F550 flatbed, from Lynch Ford, for roughly $56,000, the state rate. There would be an additional slide pump mechanism installed on the flatbed to allow the truck to be used as a pumper truck, especially for grass fires. That additional retrofit would be approximately $50,000.
With two trucks nearing 20 years in age, Siggins is looking to get creative and lengthen the life of the fleet at the same time as getting an additional vehicle for the public works crew.
Scott said he was reticent about $100,000 being spent in this manner, when it could be saved and bankrolled for a new tanker or pumper. A new tanker could cost $250,000 to $300,000, while a pumper truck could be upwards of $600,000, according to Siggins.
Siggins said that the department is doing everything to keep their fleet operating and moving a 2003 Ford F350 with low miles on it to the public works department gives that vehicle more use.
Public works director Travis Bagby said from a taxpayer perspective, it makes sense to repurpose a truck with such low miles to help the public works fleet.
Scott did say he did not like workers with the public works department using their own personal vehicles to respond to jobs, noting the potential liability for the city and workers.
Scott was still more in favor of seeing a new tanker or pump truck purchased than spending on a new truck that would only be used for grass fires.
“You don’t take a truck designed for grass fires to respond to a house fire,” Scott said. “I always want the fire department to have the best equipment, but spending money just because we have it doesn’t seem right to me.”
Council members Sara Nost and John Bardsley saw the necessity of getting an additional vehicle for public works and a new vehicle for the fire department, especially with a slide in pump being installed on the Ford F550.
Council member Mike Williams said he did not see a huge difference between a low mileage but older vehicle being part of the public works crew and buying a brand new vehicle for that department.
“We’d have to either trade-in or sell that used equipment,” Williams said.
Bardsley made the motion with Nost seconding.
Lisbon city council approves purchase of truck for fire department
August 24, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.